What You Need To KnowAbout Oral Bone Loss

Preserving Your Health And Appearance

If you have missing teeth, you could be

at an increased risk for oral bone loss.

Ask your dentist today about treatments

for slowing oral bone loss or replacing

bone that has been lost.

Healthy lower jaw bone withno missing teeth.

Lower jaw bone with additionalbone loss over time.

Healthy jaw with nomissing teeth.

Bone loss in jaw resulting from notreplacing missing teeth.

Reference1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Public Health Service. 2000.Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, D.C.: GPO.

What Is Oral Bone Loss?

Oral bone loss can result from trauma, tumors

or more commonly, loss of natural teeth. A diagnosis

of oral bone loss indicates that a person no longer

has bone where nature intended.

What Are The ConsequencesOf Oral Bone Loss?

Oral bone loss compromises healthy teeth and causes

a loss of facial contours. Preserving oral bone may help

maintain your natural facial appearance. Those who have

significant oral bone loss also face losing additional

teeth and are at higher risk for injury resulting

from fracture of their jaw.1

How Can I Benefit FromOral Bone Treatment?

Treating areas with existing bone loss, as well as areas at

risk for accelerated bone loss (such as places where teeth

used to be), may prevent additional tooth and oral bone

loss. Because the upper and lower jaw bone create the

shape for the lower third of your face, preserving

or rebuilding oral bone can help to preserve

your appearance through time.

If you have experienced bone loss anywhere in your

upper or lower jaw, your dentist may recommend

treatment that can significantly slow or even repair

that oral bone loss. There is a wide variety of options

available to patients who suffer from bone loss.

Am I A Candidate ForOral Bone Treatment?

Only your dentist can say for sure, but many patients

with oral bone loss can benefit from oral bone treatment.

Your dentist will want to evaluate you carefully with

an examination and x-rays and will make specific

recommendations to you about the best treatment

for your oral bone loss. Ask your dentist today how

you might benefit from treatment for oral bone loss.

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